As the sun sets on 2021, the board of the D41 Kids Foundation looks back on (yet another!) unprecedented year with gratitude for all that we were able to accomplish this past year with the generous help of our donors and supporters during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

At the beginning of 2021, during a time when we could only meet virtually via Zoom to plan, we curated, created and sold 253 Valentine boxes to community members to raise $2,500 for the Foundation. Each box contained several gift items from local businesses in an effort not only to raise funds for our foundation, but also to support local businesses during the pandemic. Extra appreciation for our partners in this project: Two Hound Red, Marche, Gather & Collect, The Bookstore of Glen Ellyn, The Glen Ellyn Sweet Shoppe, bench492, Locally Made, Learning Express, House of Graphics, and the Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce. 

In May, to support the work of the Glen Ellyn District 41 Schools, we established a Dolly Parton Imagination Library affiliate serving all children from birth through age 4 who live within the District 41 school boundaries. Free personalized, age-appropriate books are mailed to every registered child each month. The program is free to parents and guardians, being funded solely by the D41 Kids Foundation’s generous donors. Since its launch, we have raised $18,614, and registered 343 students for this program, hoping to register another 285 by July of 2022. 

Forty-six students have already “graduated” out of the program by turning 5. Extra thanks to The Rotary of Glen Ellyn, The Bookstore of Glen Ellyn and the Glen Ellyn Public Library for their support of this on-going program.

In the fall, we planned, organized and hosted our first annual D41 Kids Golf Outing and Dinner held at Reserve 22 in Glen Ellyn. Twenty-one sponsors, 16 golf foursomes and 81 dinner attendees helped us to raise $7,863 at this outing. A huge thank you to all those who supported this inaugural event with a very special thanks to the band Afternoon Logic (featuring teacher Amy Bishop of Lincoln Elementary) for their amazing musical performance that evening.

Throughout the year, we raised a total of $67,836 in our fundraising endeavors. With those monies, the Foundation was able to provide $24,279 on rental assistance to our most vulnerable families, $5,100 on food cards and other essentials for families in need by partnering with Community Outreach, and $20,130 for our Dolly Parton Imagination Library affiliate, enough to cover the cost of 689 children for a year. 

As we slowly and hopefully emerge out of the Covid-19 pandemic, we hope to focus even more steadfastly on our Foundation’s mission in 2022, 

“To strengthen public education in District 41 through advocacy for and investment in programs that ensure equity and initiatives that enrich and drive sustainable lifelong learning” by continuing to pragmatically and aspirationally answer the educational needs of our children.

We thank you so much for your support in the past year and humbly ask for you to consider a donation to our Foundation as you consider your end-of-year charitable giving. 

You can do so by going to https://d41kids.org/Donate/ 

We look forward to brighter, stronger days ahead.

With appreciation, 

The Board of the D41 Kids Foundation

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